Just hours after Jay-Z fans in New York celebrated yet another landmark moment in his career – a performance with singer Alicia Keys at Yankee Stadium – many were glued to their radios and computers, as Jay became the topic of conversation for a much less glamorous reason.
Early Friday morning (October 30), Hot 97’s DJ Kay Slay debuted a shocking Jay-Z diss record delivered by non other than Roc-a-Fella Records artist Beanie Siegel.
The track, titled “Average Cat” (click to listen) seems to be a response to “What We Talkin’ Bout,” the first track on The Blueprint 3.
Siegel responds directly to the line “Grown men wanna sit on my lap/but I ain’t got a beard and Santa Claus ain’t Black.”
While seeming to hold back on some of his grievances with Jay-Z, who he calls his “brother” in an explanation at the end of the song.
Siegel makes one clear accusation about the highly-publicized September 11 concert, during which Jay premiered his live performance of The Blueprint 3.
“The rapper Shawn called the police on me/cause I was front row at the Blueprint 3,” Siegel raps. “S**t, I just wanted to see him MC, and reminisce on when we was the R.O.C./But he called all the C.O.Ps, not only that, he brought out the F.E.Ds/So that’s telling me ‘F You Sieg,’/so F you too and F Bleek three.”
At the end of the track, during which Sigel also insinuates that he has information that could affect Jay-Z’s relationship with Beyonce, the “Broad Street Bully” addresses listeners directly, explaining why he decided to release the track.
“I think I held my tongue long enough about this whole Roc-a-Fella situation,” said a noticeably upset Sigel. “I was the realest thing that happened to the Roc. The Roc was just a rock. I brought the Fellas to Roc-a-Fella Records; Hot 97, State Prop, y’all remember. I brought the street cred to that. I fought all them battles: Jadakiss, Nas, Dipset. Anybody you woulda told me to go after. Matter of fact, you ain’t even have to tell me. I frontlined for that thing of ours, for that diamond that people was throwin’ up. I’da took a bullet at that time.”
He goes on to reveal that following his year-long prison stint in 2004 – during which Jay-Z apparently never visited or corresponded with him during – the longtime friends met to discuss Sigel’s release from Roc-A-Fella Records so he could pursue other opportunities.
According to Sigel, Jay offered him a financial incentive to remain on the struggling label’s roster. “I told you I ain’t want your money,” he said addressing Jay-Z directly.
“But you was in a position to let me get my own money, and you couldn’t do that,” Sigel claimed.
Whatever issues remain between the two artists, who have always appeared to be very close, Sigel has made it clear that they can be resolved.
“And don’t get it f***ed up: this ain’t the green light for everybody to start making diss Jay-Z record. I still got love for the n***a. This just me taking my brother out in the yard for 5 minutes,” he said in closing before screaming out “Roc-A-Fella for life.”
